People Are Buzzing About These First Session Horses at Saratoga

What's looking good in Saratoga? Following is a list of the horses in the first session of the Fasig-Tipton select yearling sale that were generating a buzz among consignors and buyers prior the auction's start Tuesday night in New York:

Hip No. 6, a Grand Slam – Varnish filly, consigned by Gainesway, agent. This filly is a half-sister to stakes winner Swingforthefences and is from the family of champion Wajima. "She is a high quality filly," said Michael Hernon of Gainesway. "She's athletic; she's attractive; she's correct; and she moves well. She also comes from a very quality family."

Hip No. 7, an Elusive Quality – Very Special Lite colt, consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent. This colt is out of a grade III winner and is a half-brother to grade III winner Strategic Partner. "This is the first crop of Elusive Quality where we're starting to see the higher quality pedigrees come into play," said Mark Taylor of Taylor Made. "This is arguably the best bred Elusive Quality colt to go through the sale ring. And he's got the physical to match. He's just a really, really classy colt. He's dead correct, and he's got great balance."

Hip No. 10, a Dixieland Band – With a Wink filly, consigned by Eaton Sales, agent. This filly is out of a grade II winner. She is a full sister to a stakes winner and a half-sister to another stakes winner. "This is the nicest Dixieland Band filly that I have ever seen," said Reiley McDonald of Eaton Sales. "She's absolutely gorgeous."

Hip No. 16, a Forest Wildcat – Alizea filly named Summer Wildfire, consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent. This filly is a half-sister to three stakes winners, including grade I winner and successful young sire Songandaprayer. "She's one of the best bred fillies in the sale," said Mark Taylor of Taylor Made. "With Songandaprayer moving to Kentucky and doing so well, it just gives the pedigree another jump in class. She's a typical Forest Wildcat with a great body and a tremendous hip on her. She looks like a runner. And for people who are looking to breed down the road, she's one of the top prospects in the sale. If she wins a stakes, she's a gold mine. And even if she doesn't win a stakes, she has plenty of residual value."

Hip No. 25, a Giant's Causeway – Belterra colt, consigned by Chanceland Farm, agent. This colt is the first foal out of a grade II stakes winner and his family has produced successful runners for generations. "He is a wonderful blend of the Unbridled (the sire of Belterra) and the Storm Cat/Giant's Causeway blood," said Robert Manfuso of Chanceland. "He's got a nice range to him and plenty of size, but he's not too big. He just a wonderful physical specimen with a tremendous attitude and a great, smooth walk. He's got all the pieces to see if he can be a racehorse."

Hip No. 29, a Gone West – Biogio's Rose colt, consigned by Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency, agent. This colt is out of a grade III winner and is from the family of grade I winner My Gallant.

Hip No. 37, an Honour and Glory – Call Her colt, consigned by Four Star Sales, agent for Glencrest Farm. This colt is a big, strong-looking full brother to grade II winner Battle Won. "He is Battle Won's twin," said David Greathouse of Glencrest and Four Star. "Mike Ryan who bought Battle Won from me as a baby said the same thing, and Chuck Simon, who trains him (Battle Won), said you could put them together in a stall and the only difference in them would be their age. He is beautiful, well-balanced colt. He'll bring as much as his pedigree will allow him to."

Hip No. 39, an Awesome Again – Cape North filly, consigned by Gainesway, agent. This filly is from the family of champion North Sider. "She's a very impressive, attractive filly, and she has a good, deep pedigree," said Michael Hernon of Gainesway. "She's athletic and strong, and she has very good bone and substance. She's a very good mover."

Hip No. 47, a Fusaichi Pegasus – Collect Call filly named Call Collect, consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent. This filly is the first foal out of a grade III-winning Meadowlake mare and is from the family of grade I winner Mitterand. "She reminds me a lot of the stakes-winning Fusaichi Pegasus filly we sold up here two years ago named Talented," said Mark Taylor of Taylor Made. "She's more of an early-looking Fusaichi Pegasus. A lot of them look, to me, like they might need a little time and want to run a distance. This filly looks quick and early, and just looks like she'll be really, really fast. She's very correct and has a great body."

Hip No. 50, a Hennessy – Crystal Cream colt, consigned by Mill Ridge Sales, agent. This colt is a half-brother to stakes winner Perfectly Clear and is from the family of grade I winner Kalookan Queen, grade III winner Clear Copy, and Brazilian champion Tutelada.

Hip No. 59, an Include – Excellent Adventure colt, consigned by Gainesway, agent. This colt, a member of his sire's first crop, sold for $150,000 as a weanling at the 2004 Keeneland November breeding stock sale. He is a half-brother to stakes winner Excellent Band and his dam is a full sister to grade II winner Evansville Slew. "He's an exceptional-looking colt," said Michael Hernon of Gainesway. "He's big and mature for his age; he's a very good mover; and he's correct."

Hip No. 60, a Giant's Causeway -- Exchange Place colt, consigned by Eaton Sales. This colt is from the family of grade I winners Affirmed Success, Exbourne, and Expelled.

Hip No. 73, a Mr. Greeley – Hard Knocker colt, consigned by Eldon Farm Equine. This colt is a muscular, flashy chestnut with four white socks. He sold for $340,000 as a weanling at the 2004 Keeneland November breeding stock sale. And he's a half-brother to grade III winner Chimichurri and to German stakes winner Huambo. "The price is indicative of the horse," said Michael Hernon of Gainesway. "As a weanling purchase, he was probably one of the nicest, if not the nicest weanling colt, sold last year. He's got a wonderful temperament. He's a very strong, mature, and powerful colt. He is a very like Mr. Greeley, who is such a fine specimen himself."

Hip No. 75, a Yes It's True – Hollow Design colt, consigned by Eaton Sales, agent. This colt is from the family of Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I) winner Very Subtle. He sold for $200,000 earlier this year at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Co. winter mixed auction. "He is a carbon copy of his father, but just a little bigger," said Reiley McDonald of Eaton Sales. "Everybody has fallen in love with him."

Prospective buyers, consignors, and Fasig-Tipton officials were cautiously optimistic prior to the Saratoga select yearling sale's starte even though the stock market and the Thoroughbred marketplace in general have lost momentum lately.